November 06, 2024 07:22 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy booked for threatening cop probing into mining case | Supreme Court upholds validity of Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Education Act | Not all private properties are community resources that govt can take over: Supreme Court | Pakistan's Lahore has become world's most polluted city with an AQI of 1900 on Sunday | Indian Army 'successfully completes' patrolling to a key point in Ladakh's Depsang region
PNB scam: Mehul Choksi surrenders Indian passport to Antigua

PNB scam: Mehul Choksi surrenders Indian passport to Antigua

| @indiablooms | 21 Jan 2019, 05:31 am

Antigua, Jan 21 (IBNS): Fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, who is an accused in the 13,000-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, has surrendered his Indian passport to Antigua and also gave up his Indian citizenship, media reports said.

Choksi, who is now in Antigua, also submitted 177 dollars to the Indian High Commissioner in Antigua.

The move is interpreted as a tactic to avoid extradition to India, which, however, does not have a bilateral extradition pact with Antigua.

Officials told media that Choksi, who is a citizen of Antigua, gave his new address as Jolly Harbours Marks Antigua, NDTV reported.

Choksi, along with nephew Nirav Modi, a diamond czar, fled India in January. The businessman was granted citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda in 2017. 

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is probing this case along with the CBI where it is alleged that Modi and Choksi defrauded the Brady House branch of the PNB in Mumbai to the tune of about ₹2 billion (over ₹13,000 crore) in alleged connivance with officials.

In October, the ED attached assets worth over ₹218 crore in this case. The assets belong to Choksi, Mihir Bhansali, a close aide and US-based executive of main accused in the case Modi, and a company named AP Gems and Jewellery Park.

In December, Global police body Interpol issued a Red Corner Notice against diamond merchant Choksi.

This notice by the Interpol is a request to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition. It is issued by the general secretariat at the request of a member country or an international tribunal based on a valid national arrest warrant. In this case, the CBI had made that request.

Interpol has already issued a similar notice against Choksi's nephew Modi.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.